Once More To The Lake

With Our Son, Tom

We decided that whenever we woke, whether 5:00 or 8:00 we would be off to the lake. So it's 6:45 at the moment and I am having breakfast compliments of the Hampton Inn and finishing the blog. To my surprise, the breakfast room was packed, with guys here for a conference of some kind. We should be off by 7:30 at the latest and get back to the lake and snow by mid-afternoon.  

5:44

Monday was a typical day-long drive, with not much to see or do other than keep your eyes on the road and keep driving. We were up early at Tom and Mary's, at 5:30, had our coffee, finished packing the car and we were on our way to Indiana by 6:30. We have left this early numerous times and always look forward to the rising sun when we hit Interstate 70, heading east.  At times it's blinding but yesterday there were some clouds so I didn't need my shades.  

7:15

We were lucky with our drive, no accidents, few traffic jams, and a decent day, mostly overcast but no rain or snow.  We had a couple of stops because we decided to trade off every two-plus hours so we hit Mc Donalds, both for breakfast and lunch because it's usually quick. We made better time than we thought so Evie called Hampton Inns and canceled our one reservation and made another farther along on our drive, to Richmond, IN, making today's drive an hour shorter.

We pulled into our Hampton Inn at 4:15 (3:15 Central Time), an eight-hour and forty-five-minute drive.  We collapsed in our room for a couple of hours until we decided to have dinner.  Fortunately, a restaurant called Wings And Rings was next door so we walked over even though there were few cars in the parking lot,  I guess the place was busy earlier but when we got there, we were the only people in the bar. We ordered onion rings for an appetizer to go with our beers and wings and a salad for a main course,  Everything was good though not the healthiest of the choices except for the salad, We did not stay long although a few couples started arrived as we were leaving.  

We walked back to our Inn, watched some Jeopardy and football but ended up going to be earlier than ever, tired from our drive and our trip.  

Back To Winter

Fun Days With Mary And Tom

It's 6:00 in the morning as we want, once again, to get off before 8:00  at the latest because we have an eight-hour drive through Indianapolis to our Hampton Inn. The weather at the lake sounds terrible but we should have good driving weather today, no rain, no snow. 

The Tesla

Sunday was a day of rest because we did little other than sitting around and watch football or basketball.  After a breakfast of eggs and sausage, Tom wanted to go to Costco because they usually stock up on groceries for the week. Evie was game and I wanted to take another ride in Tom's Tesla so the five of us took off around 11:00.  Costco as usual was overflowing with shoppers fresh from church (just kidding).  We browsed for a half hour and Evie didn't get much to my surprise but we had already done a big shopping a week ago at the Dallas Costco.  

Marlena Heads Back To College

On Her Way

We were home by noon and Marlena had to get ready to drive back to Fayetteville, a three-hour ride.  She's really independent, does not mind the drive, and was packed and ready to go by 1:00.  It was sad to see her go but she will be back in a couple of weeks for Christmas vacation.  After she left, I gassed up my Subaru and added some oil because the engine was a bit low after our highway trip. We then watched some football and I fell asleep of course until the fourth quarter.  We wanted to have the car packed and ready to go in the morning so Evie spent 15 minutes organizing our stuff and cleaning the car.  By 4:00, we had our two suitcases packed and in the car and we were ready to relax with Tom and Mary with appetizers, shrimp and cocktail sauce, and libations. And watched more football of course.  

A Man And His Best Friend

We should have gone for a hike on the Missouri end of the Katy Trail but we just did not have the energy although Tom and Mary went for a walk in the neighborhood. We watched football until Tom and Mary started to prep our fajita dinner.  

Our People (Help)

We sat around their island as both cooked and had a great conversation about our kids and grandkids and how lucky we all are.  Was it parenting or were they just good kids?  I go with good kids!  Our fajitas were great. Tom fried up a bunch of peppers to go along with our steak, sour cream, avocado, and salsa.  It was a perfect way to use the leftover steak from Friday night's dinner. 

Dusk

We were through with dinner in time to see the beginning of the Browns game and both Tommy and I are still die-hard fans. None of us lasted to the end of the game, too tired from our day of rest.

Sunny In Kansas City

A Turkish Meal At The Clay & Fire

It's just after 8:00 as I start this blog but I have been up since 6:15. Both Evie and Mary just got up and are joining me with their coffee and devices. It's chilly 34º without a cloud in the blue sky. I don't think we could ask for a nicer day.

A Blue Morning Sky In Lees Summit

Saturday was a day with little plans which was nice.  We were in no hurry to go anywhere and basically waited for the Ohio State/Michigan game which came on at 11:00 here. We watched the first quarter which set the tempo for the game as Michigan totally dominated the Buckeyes.  So we left about 12:30 to look at the property which Tom is contemplating buying and building a new house on the lot.  It was the first time for us to ride in a Tesla and it was quite an experience, especially the acceleration from a stop. The property is near Lake Winnebago although the lot overlooks woods, not the lake. Afterward, we drove into downtown Lee's Summit, bought a coffee, and walked around on the busy streets.  It's a neat downtown and has changed quite a bit in the 20 years we have been visiting.  Now it's filled with neat shops and bars and restaurants. 

Bella

Tree Lined Street In Mission Hills

We were home by 2:30 and relaxed until 4:00 when we drove into the city to visit Nick's house. We drove through a beautiful neighborhood called Mission Hills, filled with mansions, reminding us both of Cleveland or Shaker Heights.  

On Nick's Porch

Enjoying A Beer In West Plaza

Nick greeted us from his porch, gave us a tour of his house and we met one of his roommates, Jose from Costa Rica.  We sat in his living room, enjoying a beer before driving off to a Persian/Turkish restaurant called Clay And Fire.  It's located in an old house in Kansas City and the vibe was very Turkish, with lots of kilims on the walls. 

We ordered some Turkish/Persian//Armenian meze, eggplant hummus, lentil stew, arugula salad, and lots of pita bread.  Most of us ordered either kebabs or Armenia pizzas on pita bread.  It was a fun night talking with Nick, Aundraya and Jose although the food was just average and not up to our Turkish standards.  We said our goodbyes to Nick and Aundraya and didn't get home until 8:00.  

We surfed the TV for a movie we might all enjoy and settled on a film called Brain On Fire, based on a true story of a New York Post reporter's journey to understand her seizures and headaches.  We ended up liking it more than new thought. After the film, Marlena left to spend the night with a high school friend. and we went to bed around 10:30, late for us recently. 

 

Good Morning From Kansas City

Our Granddaughter, Marlena, A Freshman At the University Of Arkansas

A Missouri Morning

It's 8:00 and sunny here in Lee's Summit, a suburb southeast of downtown Kansas City.  I was up at 7:00 and let Evie sleep in for the first time in a while.  Tom and Mary just got up so the three of us are sitting here on our devices, drinking coffee.  It should be a fine late autumn day with temperatures reaching into the 50's in the afternoon,  

Sun Rising In Oklahoma

We were not looking forward to yesterday's eight-hour drive but it was better than we thought and we made it in under eight hours, arriving at Tom and Mary's before 2:00. We did get a good start from our hotel and were on #75 heading north out of Dallas by 6:10.  It takes a good forty-five minutes to an hour before we were out of the Dallas suburbs and into the countryside. We drove past a couple of stores with parking lots already filled with cars as the Black Friday shoppers were out early. 

We took #75 north, then #69, a minor four-lane highway, driving through an occasional small town and having to stop for a stoplight or two. We stopped once for breakfast at McDonald's, once for gas and that was it for our eight-hour drive. We were fortunate with the weather, sunny and blue skies most of the way although early morning it was cold, the fields on the side of the road white with frost.  

Happy To Be Back In Kansas City

Marlena And Me

Tom, Mary, Marlena, and Bella were in the front yard waiting for us, with Bella seemingly the most excited to see us. We came right in, unpacking the car later. It was our first time to visit KC since last Spring and the family was able to visit us this past July for a week. We sat around their kitchen island until Nick and Aundraya came over and then it was time for libations and happy hour.  Tommy made us killer old fashions and Mary heated up some wings for an appetizer.  

Aundraya, Nick, Chris, And Marlena

Better Together

The Kitchen Crew

Nick's best friend from high school, Chris, stopped over and stayed for dinner which was great.  He, along with Nick and another friend, Peyton, spent a week at the lake after their high school graduation in 2016. 

Steaks Are Ready

For dinner, Tom went crazy and bought a slab of prime steaks from Costco. While we enjoyed happy hour, Tommy cut seven inch thick steaks and seasoned them with salt, pepper, and garlic salt.  He then stoked up his Weber Smoker to 500 degrees and grilled the steaks for about 10 minutes until they were medium-rare.  He then put slabs of butter on each steak and let them rest for 10 minutes before we sat down to eat.  

No Turkey Tonight

They were the best steaks I have had in quite a while and with salad, rice, and leftovers from Thanksgiving dinner we had a feast. For dessert,  Mary made her famous carrot cake and a banana cream pie.  I had both.  We then sat in the living room, watching the best of SNL until 9:30 when we all were tired enough to go to bed. 

Dusk

Going To Kansas City

Thanks For Four Great Days

We are up early so we can be off to KC by 7:00. We hate leaving Dallas and Beth and her family but the good news is we will be seeing Tom and his family for a few days before heading back to the lake. 

Thanksgiving was another fun day with walks, good food, and family.  We didn't get over to Beth's until 10:30 because we wanted to get our car mostly packed so we won't have to worry much about it in the morning. Thanksgiving is if nothing but good food so Beth made us a big breakfast, with eggs, bacon, and scones. 

A Walk With Kaia

The Katy Trail

After that, we decided we needed a walk to wake up, keep our mojo so the five of us took Kaia out for a mile and a half walk on the Katy Trail. Lots of families were out like us because it was perfect weather for a walk, lots of sun, and in the fifties.  We didn't get back until after 12:00 which was good timing if you cared about football, which most of the family didn't. 

Doing Dishes

Kitchen Prepsters

Dinner's Ready

Beth was smart this year and had ordered most of the dinner and picked it up on Wednesday.  Despite that fact, she and Evie spent a part of the afternoon in the kitchen, prepping things, putting them in microwaveable plates.  For appetizers, we had chicken legs fried in their air fryer and they were delicious.  Beth also brought out three different kinds of cheese to go with the premade Old Fashions. They were delicious but also lethal if you had more than one. 

Carving Turkey With Granny's Help

Ready For Dinner

Thanksgiving Dinner

We sat around like most of America watching the Dallas Cowboys play the Raiders until it was dinner time. Tyler carved the turkey, Evie the ham our main dishes. We had more than enough sides, two different stuffings, mashed potatoes, Brussel sprouts, lobster risotto, and mushroom risotto. I think Beth was smart to forget about the mac n cheese and save it for tomorrow. 

Our Crazies

Around 7:00, Marisa and I took Kaia out for a short walk on the Katy Trail and we were the only ones on it except for a policeman on his bike, no doubt making sure the trail is safe.  We ended the night as always, with pumpkin pie topped with whipped cream.  Because we were leaving early for KC, we said our goodbyes at 9:00 so we would get a good sleep before our eight-hour drive. It's been a fun four nights with Beth, Rami, and their kids, worth the drive for sure.  We missed Thanksgiving last year with our families because of Covid and were happy to be able to come this year. 

 

Happy Thanksgiving From Texas

Breakfast With Mitch And Milena

Tyler And Granny

Mom And Daughter

I am up at my usual time on this trip, 7:00, and am having coffee downstairs in the lobby after taking Evie up a couple of cups of coffee. It has cooled off some here in Dallas, 50º, and we did get some rain overnight but it should be dry but overcast much of Thanksgiving day.

Our Marisa

Wednesday was another good day with Beth and her family.  We did not get over to their apartment until 9:45, taking our time to get ready for the day.  Mitch and Milena were there briefly because they were off to have Thanksgiving dinner a day early with her family because Milena works Thanksgiving Day at Baylor Hospital.  After they left, Beth made us some breakfast and had been shopping at Central Market at 8:30 and picked up some delicious scones to go along with our eggs.

Katy Trail

Around 10:30, we decided to walk the Katy Trail into the Knox Park area where all the cool shops and restaurants reside.  It's a great trail, with two paths, one for walking, another for bikers and it goes for miles. Beth wanted to show us the new Restoration Hardware, two stories of furniture, and a restaurant on the top floor, a cool idea.  We browsed then sat out on their outdoor porch until Rami arrived with Kaia.  By then it was time for lunch so we decided to have sushi at the outdoor patio of Little Katana.  It was a good choice and it felt good to sit down and enjoy our meal.  We ended our shopping at Trader Joe's where Evie picked up a few things before we walked home through the tree-lined neighborhood which parallels the Katy Trail.  It's mostly apartments, with very few single-family homes in this area.

My New Friend

We then decided to give them some peace and quiet and drove back to our hotel.  I actually took an hour's nap, catching up on some of the sleep I missed over the past week of travel and sleeping in hotel beds.  We went back to Beth and Rami's at 4:30 and sat around talking and having some wine until 7:00 because we had to wait for Tyler who had online classes at UCLA which he was not only taking but teaching from 3:00 to 7:00. 

Dallas At Night

Dallas

Ramiro, Kicking Back

Fortunately, Tyler was finished teaching by 6:30 so we were able to get to our restaurant by 7:00. LORO is new to Dallas and was started in Austin by two chefs, who fused barbecue and Asian cuisines so the menu was interesting. It's a cool place, with both outdoor and indoor seating, a great bar, and lots of booths and tables.  We found a long narrow table next to the bar and were happy.  

LORO

The Good Life

Instead of a waiter, patrons order food at the bar and they are then brought to your table when ready.  We had their specialty drinks, for me a frozen gin and tonic, for the others, mango sake slushies.  For appetizers, we had corn fritters and chicken karaage, both great then everyone ordered assorted entrees.  I had Malaysian Chicken Bo Saam and the others, smoked prime bavette, their smoked meat specialty. We went home with two peach yuzu cobblers to share for our dessert.  The restaurant was a good choice, really hopping with locals enjoying the fusion delights. We were home by 8:15 and stayed till 9:45, sitting around the living room talking and petting Kaia.  Another good day.